Pope, contender for GOP chair, sees challenges in new majority role

Claude Pope stands outside his store Maritime Market on Bald Head Island in N.C. Wednesday April 25, 2013. Pope seems to be the frontrunner for state GOP chairman, to be elected in June. He lives full time and owns a store at Bald Head Island.

Published: Sunday, May 5, 2013 at 6:36 p.m.

Last Modified: Sunday, May 5, 2013 at 6:36 p.m.

Once a month, the moon rises and the sun sets over the water at the same time on Brunswick County's Bald Head Island, and Claude Pope joins his fellow island dwellers for a "Howl at the Moon Party."

It appears the stars also are aligning for Pope, 52, to take over as the next chief of the state GOP. To be certain, it will be a different kind of party but one with no shortage of howling as Republicans adjust to their newfound role at the helm and settle in as leaders after years in the backseat.

Friends and friendly adversaries describe Pope – born in Dunn, raised in Raleigh, and now a Cape Fear man – as a laid-back guy who doesn't duck when the going gets tough. They say he's a man with the ability to bring a steady voice to a party experiencing a growth spurt, a party that often finds itself at odds with itself as much as with Democrats.

"I think the Republican Party, from my standpoint as a Democrat, is facing two different factions struggling for ideological control of the party," said Jack Nichols, a Raleigh attorney who was chairman of the Wake County Democratic Party when Pope held the same role for the Wake County Republicans over a decade ago. Nichols describes himself as a friend of Pope's. "The nature of being a party person is you have to be a peacemaker between factions of your party. He'll be good in that regard."

A ‘thoughtful approach'

Pope says he would advocate for a "thoughtful approach" for Republican leaders, as well as the rank-and-file, moving forward.

"You have 140 years of pent-up demand on the conservative side that now has a majority, and they want to change the world. And they want to change the world tonight," Pope said during a recent interview with the StarNews outside the grocery store that is his business and his baby.

He discusses Bald Head Island and his Maritime Market like a proud father (Did you know this bit of island history or that, he says with great enthusiasm. He strolls through his grocery pointing out various items like art work on a parent's fridge). He describes his planned role with the state Republican Party similar to a father watching his grown children leave the nest but still there to offer advice and guidance. "My advice may be worth a grain of salt or may be worth a lot," he says.

The intraparty election is in June, and already Pope has earned the endorsements of House Speaker Thom Tillis, Senate President Pro Tempore Phil Berger, Lt. Gov. Dan Forest, and Gov. Pat McCrory, among others. Others may run; candidates do not file as they do for public office. But Pope is the chosen one of the powers that be.

No easy gig

It's a difficult time to seek an ever challenging job. Sure, things may look GOP rosy. North Carolina has delivered for the Republicans at the local, state and national level in recent years, grassroots style. Voters gave Republicans a majority in the Legislature in 2010; in 2012, they sent a Republican to the governor's mansion and went red for Mitt Romney in Barack Obama's re-election campaign.

So, easy gig, right?

Not quite, Pope says.

"Maintaining a majority is much more difficult than winning one," Pope said. "They (Republicans) want to wake up tomorrow and have everything be right, whatever is their definition of right. We all want the same things."

He ticks off a list that includes such items as eliminating the state corporate and personal income taxes.

But Republicans are not going "to change 140 years worth of liberalism" in two to four years, he said.

Patience, he stresses.

"If it's a bite at a time, great, let's keep biting. But if you lose your majority you're not going to be able to bite anymore. And if you go too fast and too far too quickly and you lose your majority, it's just going to get reversed."

Lessons learned

Pope said he saw that happen after he left his post as chairman of the Wake County Republican Party, a role in which he served from 2009 to 2010, through two election cycles. In that position, he advocated for a proposal that polled well, that of neighborhood schools as opposed to busing to turn an 8-1 Republican minority school board into a 5-4 GOP majority in 2009. That issue carried into the races for Wake County Board of Commissioners, which flipped from a 3-4 Republican minority to a 4-3 GOP majority, in 2010.

"When he was Wake County Republican Party chairman, he led a resurgence in Republican activity that resulted in the capture of conservative majorities on both the school board and county commission," Lt. Gov. Forest said in an endorsement statement.

But when he left the Wake County GOP post early after the election cycle of 2010, the school board went back into Democratic hands the following election in 2011. Pope says the Republicans lost the majority mainly because of intraparty discord among members of the board.

It's a theme he hopes won't repeat itself on a statewide level.

Opportunity knocked

Pope came into that role virtually from the outside, against the grain of party officials rising through the ranks. He'd been involved in politics as a young man. At 31, he served as vice chairman of the Wake County GOP, but otherwise watched from the sidelines. With a strong interest in government and civic organizations, he involved himself in anything he could as an upstart businessman. But as he ran an office supply business with three young children at home, he was eventually called to a prayer meeting by his wife, Melissa.

"After that I started backing out of everything. The kids were 8, 6 and 4 at that time. They needed me."

But then opportunity knocked. He got a call out of nowhere asking him to run for Wake GOP chair.

"You get to that point where you're tired of throwing things at the TV," he said. It was 2008, the year of President Barack Obama's rising star, much to the chagrin of Republicans. Democrat Beverly Perdue had been elected governor.

"The kids are grown. I'd sold my business…. I thought, maybe it's time to get back involved," Pope said.

He ran. He won. He delivered. And in late 2010, he moved to Bald Head Island for good.

And life is grand. I mean, the man drives a golf cart, runs a grocery store full of goodies, wears a golf shirt to work, and Howls at the Moon over pristine, sandy beaches on an island accessible only by ferry.

Opportunity knocked again

But then again – there was that call from nowhere: we'd like you to run, this time statewide.

"I don't understand why he wants to do what he's doing," said friend Danny Coleman, who lives in Raleigh and owns a land development and construction business. Coleman says Pope would be an excellent party chair, but he's surprised he would give up his beloved island time.

Pope said he sometimes thinks the same driving home. But "serving your state and your party and governor is a high honor, and sometimes that service comes at a price." He said the party needs to diversify and he sees himself as a consensus builder and recruiter.

"One of the issues in the party is the party seems to be overwhelmingly majority Christian," he said. "Nothing wrong with that, but we need to reach out to Jews, Muslims and people of other faiths as well because this is not a Christian nation. It's a nation founded on Judeo-Christian principles."

He also believes the party should reach out to minorities. Coleman, who is black, said Pope could do a good job recruiting African-Americans into the party as members and candidates. The two worked together on the neighborhood schools issues to hammer out a compromise solution in the late 2000s. Coleman was president of the Raleigh Wake Citizens Association, an African-American political and social group founded in 1932, when Pope was Wake County GOP party chair. Coleman was a Democrat but the two met frequently.

"Even when things got testy, he didn't run and hide," Coleman said; Coleman is planning to switch parties and register as a Republican – to support Pope.

Friends in high places

If Pope is elected, it's unclear how much pull he'll have for the Cape Fear region, but he says he'll remain a close friend and keep his home on Bald Head Island, in addition to the one the family bought two weeks ago in Wilmington.

"It certainly means the area's local issues have yet another representative in Raleigh who could have an impact," he said.

But he tempered expectations.

"To be honest, I don't know how much impact I can have. A lot of people assign more power to me than I'll probably ever have."

<p>Once a month, the moon rises and the sun sets over the water at the same time on Brunswick County's Bald Head Island, and Claude Pope joins his fellow island dwellers for a "Howl at the Moon Party."</p><p>It appears the stars also are aligning for Pope, 52, to take over as the next chief of the state GOP. To be certain, it will be a different kind of party but one with no shortage of howling as Republicans adjust to their newfound role at the helm and settle in as leaders after years in the backseat. </p><p>Friends and friendly adversaries describe Pope – born in Dunn, raised in Raleigh, and now a Cape Fear man – as a laid-back guy who doesn't duck when the going gets tough. They say he's a man with the ability to bring a steady voice to a party experiencing a growth spurt, a party that often finds itself at odds with itself as much as with Democrats.</p><p>"I think the Republican Party, from my standpoint as a Democrat, is facing two different factions struggling for ideological control of the party," said Jack Nichols, a Raleigh attorney who was chairman of the Wake County Democratic Party when Pope held the same role for the Wake County Republicans over a decade ago. Nichols describes himself as a friend of Pope's. "The nature of being a party person is you have to be a peacemaker between factions of your party. He'll be good in that regard."</p><h3>A 'thoughtful approach'</h3>
<p>Pope says he would advocate for a "thoughtful approach" for Republican leaders, as well as the rank-and-file, moving forward.</p><p>"You have 140 years of pent-up demand on the conservative side that now has a majority, and they want to change the world. And they want to change the world tonight," Pope said during a recent interview with the StarNews outside the grocery store that is his business and his baby.</p><p>He discusses Bald Head Island and his Maritime Market like a proud father (Did you know this bit of island history or that, he says with great enthusiasm. He strolls through his grocery pointing out various items like art work on a parent's fridge). He describes his planned role with the state Republican Party similar to a father watching his grown children leave the nest but still there to offer advice and guidance. "My advice may be worth a grain of salt or may be worth a lot," he says. </p><p>The intraparty election is in June, and already Pope has earned the endorsements of House Speaker Thom Tillis, Senate President Pro Tempore Phil Berger, Lt. Gov. Dan Forest, and Gov. Pat McCrory, among others. Others may run; candidates do not file as they do for public office. But Pope is the chosen one of the powers that be.</p><h3>No easy gig</h3>
<p>It's a difficult time to seek an ever challenging job. Sure, things may look GOP rosy. North Carolina has delivered for the Republicans at the local, state and national level in recent years, grassroots style. Voters gave Republicans a majority in the Legislature in 2010; in 2012, they sent a Republican to the governor's mansion and went red for Mitt Romney in Barack Obama's re-election campaign. </p><p>So, easy gig, right? </p><p>Not quite, Pope says. </p><p>"Maintaining a majority is much more difficult than winning one," Pope said. "They (Republicans) want to wake up tomorrow and have everything be right, whatever is their definition of right. We all want the same things."</p><p>He ticks off a list that includes such items as eliminating the state corporate and personal income taxes. </p><p>But Republicans are not going "to change 140 years worth of liberalism" in two to four years, he said. </p><p>Patience, he stresses. </p><p>"If it's a bite at a time, great, let's keep biting. But if you lose your majority you're not going to be able to bite anymore. And if you go too fast and too far too quickly and you lose your majority, it's just going to get reversed."</p><h3>Lessons learned</h3>
<p>Pope said he saw that happen after he left his post as chairman of the Wake County Republican Party, a role in which he served from 2009 to 2010, through two election cycles. In that position, he advocated for a proposal that polled well, that of neighborhood schools as opposed to busing to turn an 8-1 Republican minority school board into a 5-4 GOP majority in 2009. That issue carried into the races for Wake County Board of Commissioners, which flipped from a 3-4 Republican minority to a 4-3 GOP majority, in 2010.</p><p>"When he was Wake County Republican Party chairman, he led a resurgence in Republican activity that resulted in the capture of conservative majorities on both the school board and county commission," Lt. Gov. Forest said in an endorsement statement. </p><p>But when he left the Wake County GOP post early after the election cycle of 2010, the school board went back into Democratic hands the following election in 2011. Pope says the Republicans lost the majority mainly because of intraparty discord among members of the board. </p><p>It's a theme he hopes won't repeat itself on a statewide level.</p><h3>Opportunity knocked</h3>
<p>Pope came into that role virtually from the outside, against the grain of party officials rising through the ranks. He'd been involved in politics as a young man. At 31, he served as vice chairman of the Wake County GOP, but otherwise watched from the sidelines. With a strong interest in government and civic organizations, he involved himself in anything he could as an upstart businessman. But as he ran an office supply business with three young children at home, he was eventually called to a prayer meeting by his wife, Melissa. </p><p>"After that I started backing out of everything. The kids were 8, 6 and 4 at that time. They needed me." </p><p>But then opportunity knocked. He got a call out of nowhere asking him to run for Wake GOP chair. </p><p>"You get to that point where you're tired of throwing things at the TV," he said. It was 2008, the year of President Barack Obama's rising star, much to the chagrin of Republicans. Democrat Beverly Perdue had been elected governor. </p><p>"The kids are grown. I'd sold my business…. I thought, maybe it's time to get back involved," Pope said. </p><p>He ran. He won. He delivered. And in late 2010, he moved to Bald Head Island for good.</p><p>And life is grand. I mean, the man drives a golf cart, runs a grocery store full of goodies, wears a golf shirt to work, and Howls at the Moon over pristine, sandy beaches on an island accessible only by ferry. </p><p>Opportunity knocked again </p><p>But then again – there was that call from nowhere: we'd like you to run, this time statewide. </p><p>"I don't understand why he wants to do what he's doing," said friend Danny Coleman, who lives in Raleigh and owns a land development and construction business. Coleman says Pope would be an excellent party chair, but he's surprised he would give up his beloved island time. </p><p>Pope said he sometimes thinks the same driving home. But "serving your state and your party and governor is a high honor, and sometimes that service comes at a price." He said the party needs to diversify and he sees himself as a consensus builder and recruiter.</p><p>"One of the issues in the party is the party seems to be overwhelmingly majority Christian," he said. "Nothing wrong with that, but we need to reach out to Jews, Muslims and people of other faiths as well because this is not a Christian nation. It's a nation founded on Judeo-Christian principles."</p><p>He also believes the party should reach out to minorities. Coleman, who is black, said Pope could do a good job recruiting African-Americans into the party as members and candidates. The two worked together on the neighborhood schools issues to hammer out a compromise solution in the late 2000s. Coleman was president of the Raleigh Wake Citizens Association, an African-American political and social group founded in 1932, when Pope was Wake County GOP party chair. Coleman was a Democrat but the two met frequently. </p><p>"Even when things got testy, he didn't run and hide," Coleman said; Coleman is planning to switch parties and register as a Republican – to support Pope.</p><h3>Friends in high places</h3>
<p>If Pope is elected, it's unclear how much pull he'll have for the Cape Fear region, but he says he'll remain a close friend and keep his home on Bald Head Island, in addition to the one the family bought two weeks ago in Wilmington. </p><p>"It certainly means the area's local issues have yet another representative in Raleigh who could have an impact," he said. </p><p>But he tempered expectations. </p><p>"To be honest, I don't know how much impact I can have. A lot of people assign more power to me than I'll probably ever have."</p><p>Metro desk: 343-2389</p><p>On <a href="http://www.starnewsonline.com/section/news41"><b>Twitter</b></a>: @StarNewsMolly</p>